Industrial bioreactor for microbial food production
Enhance microbial food production with advanced bioreactor systems designed for precision fermentation, ensuring efficient cultivation and superior yield of innovative food products.

Cultivates and Ferments Microbial Cells at Scale
The GEA Axenic® M bioreactor system, designed for microbial and precision fermentation, offers a specialized solution tailored for the burgeoning needs of the food industry, particularly in the areas of alternative proteins and new food products. This industrial-scale system employs a stirred tank reactor approach to enable both fed-batch and continuous cultivation, allowing for efficient growth of engineered cells. What sets the Axenic® M apart is its focus on regulatory compliance and adaptability to the distinctive requirements of microbial processes, addressing specific needs such as oxygen transfer and temperature control using its Virtual Bioreactor Testing technology. This advanced digital twin simulation tool allows for precise optimization of the system, ensuring energy-efficient operation and optimal yield.
Capable of handling industrial-scale operations, the Axenic® M is fully automated, utilizing GEA’s Codex® process control platform for process stability and safety, reducing manual intervention and potential for error. Designed to integrate seamlessly into existing production lines, this system supports continuous and pilot-scale operations, catering to food industry manufacturers and fermentation technology developers. With options for external cooling loops, it maintains temperature consistency and mitigates cleaning risks, ensuring a high level of production repeatability. The Axenic® M also supports comprehensive customization, providing consultation and engineering support to fine-tune the system to specific production needs.
Benefits
- Enhances yield and efficiency through precise oxygen and temperature control.
- Reduces operational costs with a fully automated system minimizing manual intervention.
- Supports seamless scale-up from pilot to industrial volumes, facilitating rapid commercialization.
- Minimizes cleaning risks with external cooling loops ensuring consistent temperature distribution.
- Offers customizable configurations to match specific production requirements, enhancing flexibility.
- Applications
- Fermented food products,Precision fermentation,Alternative proteins,New foods,Mycelium,Cell-based production
- End products
- Fermented dairy alternatives,Lab-grown seafood,Precision fermentation enzymes,Mycoprotein,Plant-based meat,Cultured dairy products
- Steps before
- Cell Culture Preparation,Media Preparation,Inoculation
- Steps after
- Harvesting,Purification,Product Isolation,Downstream Processing
- Input ingredients
- engineered cells,microbial cells,oxygen,nutrients
- Output ingredients
- alternative proteins,mycelium,cell-based products
- Market info
- GEA is known for its expertise in engineering innovative and sustainable equipment and solutions, focusing on sectors such as food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and energy, with a reputation for quality, efficiency, and advanced technological applications in industrial processing.
- Bioreactor Type
- Stirred Tank Reactor
- Automation
- Fully Automated
- Control System
- GEA Codex® Process Control
- Cooling Option
- External Cooling Loops
- Operational Mode
- Fed-batch and Continuous Cultivation
- Temperature Control
- External Cooling Loops
- Gas Transfer Control
- Accurate Control in Half-full Configuration
- Sensor Package
- Optional Advanced Sensor Package
- CIP/SIP
- Sterile Barriers for Media and Harvest Lines
- Working mechanism
- Stirred tank reactor
- Batch vs. continuous operation
- Fed-batch and continuous
- Automation level
- Fully automated
- CIP/SIP
- CIP 121°C / SIP 135°C
- Cleaning method
- External cooling loops for temperature control
- Energy efficiency
- Higher efficiency through optimized oxygen transfer and temperature management
- Changeover time
- Reduced through precise recipe control and automation
- Density/particle size
- 0.5–2.5 g/cm³ / 50–1000 µm
- Microbial cultivation
- Yes/No
- Tank shape
- Stirred tank reactor
- Footprint
- Industrial-scale
- Cooling option
- External cooling loops
- Automation
- Fully automated
- Control panel type
- GEA Codex® process control platform
- Automation level
- Fully automated with valve feedback and sterile barriers
- Cooling options
- External cooling loops
- Sensors,Probes
- Optional advanced sensor package
- Bioreactor Design Optimization
- Virtual Bioreactor Testing technology
- Process Monitoring
- Advanced digital twin simulation tool